


When the Stars Sleep and People Dream

by xiubeans



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Feels, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 01:02:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7384786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xiubeans/pseuds/xiubeans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Minseok is not a human but he experiences the same emotions as his human lover Luhan. However, humans and star people are similiar; both can fall in love, enjoy the pleasures of life, and fall prey to the arms of death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When the Stars Sleep and People Dream

**Author's Note:**

> I had the idea for this back in 2014 and I only got around to writing it more recently. Based on that you can tell that I'm either really good at procrastinating or just planning everything out. (Hint: it's not the second option)  
> I am a bit disappointed at how it turned out though. I wanted to write more about the relationship and more descriptive writing but I rushed this because I was starting to lose interest in the writing process/running out of ideas :/ oh well. It still turned out decently though

Insomnia, Luhan thinks to himself, is the best when staying up to finish up some work and stargaze late into the night. It's not the greatest thing to have, of course. He tries his best to live with it and uses the time he's awake to work but it's taken its toll on him. Nowadays he can't stay awake long enough during the day and has to take a short nap periodically. He can't keep count of how many cups of coffee or cans of energy drinks he's consumed in the past couple months but he knows it's a ridiculous amount. Insomnia sucks, he muses and rolls over to come face-to-face with a man who he's come to become familiar with.

He met Minseok just a year ago. They had bumped into one another at a coffee shop one morning and ended up spilling each other's drinks. They apologized before laughing it off and offering to buy the other man another cup of coffee. Luhan had work and his shift would start within an hour, but he made himself slow down from his busy life to chat with Minseok and perhaps know him a little better. Now they're good friends who keep in touch and hang out a lot.

Minseok seems to have a mysterious air around him. His answers are vague and he always has some sort of secretive or knowing smile. Luhan has tried to ask him where he came from and what he did for work, but Minseok merely pursed his lips in thought before answering with, "You won't get it." Get what? What will Luhan not understand about him? It wasn't like the other was from Mars. 

"Can't sleep?" Minseok cups Luhan's cheek in one hand and runs his thumb across the bottom lip. It's still a little bit bruised from the rough kissing they were sharing earlier.

"It's probably my insomnia," Luhan says. "Nothing to worry about. This happens all the time."

"How do you get enough sleep?" Minseok asks. Worry is etched across his round face and child-like features.

"I don't," Luhan chuckles. "I never get enough sleep. That's why we always bump into each other everyday at the coffee shop. It's because the caffeine helps."

The frown deepens. Minseok moves closer to Luhan and lets his head rest next to the other's chest. He can hear Luhan's beating heart. Sadness washes over Minseok. Within a few months his own heart will turn into nothing more but the dust that created the stars. For now, he just has to enjoy his time with Luhan.

"Close your eyes and do your best to fall asleep. Count some sheep. Think about memories that bring warmth. Daydream a little bit." Before Luhan can protest about how he's tried everything he feels Minseok's finger pads brush against the bare skin of his backside and lets himself become entranced by the sensation of Minseok's fingers. They glide over his skin and absentmindedly draw shapes or write out words. They explore the dips of his backside and trace the jutting shoulder blades. Luhan finds himself thinking about hugs from his parents and friends. Then he's imagining fluffy little sheep leaping over stars and moons. They bleat in joy as they hopped over Mercury, skipped along the dusty plains of the moon, and ran around Saturn.

Luhan falls asleep and doesn't wake up until the sunlight kissed his cheeks good morning and bids Minseok goodbye.

*

Minseok comes home with Luhan every Wednesday and Friday. He leaves before dawn and Luhan always finds himself disappointed. Nowadays, Luhan has been able to catch a few more winks of sleep thanks to the soothing heat radiating from the other and the feather-like touches. Minseok helps him fall asleep.He'll whisper a small scenario that Luhan can think about as he tries to fall asleep. Luhan wants to wake up with him by his side.

"How come you always leave me before the sun is up?" Luhan asks one night. He feels Minseok's fingers tracing familiar words on the small of his back. "It feels kind of lonely when you're not next to me."

"It's hard to explain," Minseok replies. "If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me," Luhan says. He pushes himself up on his elbows and looks at Minseok. "Even if you say you're from Pluto, I'll still believe you. Kind of." Minseok laughs. Luhan finds the way that his gums reveal as he laughs is adorable.

"If you say so." Minseok lets his eyes shut for a moment as he tries to collect himself and ease his nerves. His eyes fly open and Luhan watches the moonlight create the illusion of stars dancing in Minseok's eyes.

"I...I'm not human," Minseok begins slowly. He watches Luhan's face contort into a frown of confusion. Hurriedly he adds, "I know that's something odd to say, but it's true. I'm not from earth. I don't belong here."

Have I been sleeping with a madman? Luhan wonders to himself.

"It's a little bit complicated, but I'm basically a person born in space," Minseok continues. "I'm made of plasma and stardust yet I look like a human. But I'm not. Im anything but human. I'm not made of tissues and muscles. I don't have blood running in my veins. I don't have to eat food to survive. I don't need to luxaries of a bed and warmth. I'm not human."

"You're crazy," Luhan finds himself saying without control over his words. Normally, he would have kicked anybody out of his home if they claimed they lived in space but the hurt expression etched across Minseok's features prevents him from doing so.

"You said you would believe in whatever I said. Even if I came from Pluto, which I don't." Minseok sits up. The blanket falls from his naked body. The moonlight seems to shy away from his body, as if afraid of to touch such a sacred temple. Instead, it caresses his face.The soft light illuminates his face. He looks heavenly for a crazy man.

"I didn't expect you to say whatever your just said. If you have proof then I might believe you," Luhan replies. Minseok runs a frustrated hand through his midnight-black hair.

"This is exactly the reason why I don't tell people the truth. They don't believe me. They never do." Minseok scowls at Luhan before sliding out of bed to pull on his clothes. It's clear in his body language and tone of voice that he's angry at Luhan.

Fine, if Minseok wants to get mad over such a petty story then he can go do that. He doesn't care.

They both ignore one another as Minseok tugs his shirt over his head. They don't say a word while he picks up his jacket and draped it across his shoulder. They didn't even say goodbye when Minseok finally walks out of the room and slammed the front door shut. Luhan could care less about that crazy man. It's not like losing one friend is a terrible thing, anyways. He's crazy.

Luhan isn't able to fall asleep for the rest of the night and spends a good two hours thinking about the tips of Minseok's fingers writing comforting words into his backside and whispering lines of poetry to him.

*

He doesn't see Minseok at the coffee shop anymore for a whole three weeks. He doesn't show up at Luhan's apartment, either. Perhaps he was gone for good.

Over the exhausting days and tireless nights he thinks about Minseok. It's all he can think about these days. His daydreams are always about Minseok, but none of them were sexual. It was always about nice things, like the shape of Minseok's lips and how nice they felt. Sometimes it was about the way his eyes twinkled when they talked about something that excited him or intrigued him. Sometimes it was just about the comfort he offered at night when Luhan couldn't sleep.

Speaking of sleep, Luhan's insomnia seems to be getting worse.

It was starting to affect him so greatly that sometimes he passed out during work and woke up with his boss standing over him. Chugging coffee and energy drinks never seem to help. The insomia worsens with each passing night when Minseok isn't present.

If only Minseok was here to hold him and chase away those tireless nights.

*

Minseok appears in his apartment one day. It was sudden and threw Luhan off guard, but he felt relief wash over him.

"Where have you been?" Luhan asks as he gets dragged into the bedroom by the arm.

"I had to go back to find proof," Minseok replies. The sentence makes no sense but Luhan just wants to kiss those lips and taste sweet fruit that Minseok always tasted of.

Minseok hurriedly gestures for Luhan to sit on the bed. Luhan hesitantly does so. Revealing a small, silken purple pouch hanging from his hip, Minseok opens it and takes out a small pinch of what looks like sand except a lot more glittery. Minseok gestures for the other to be quiet before sprinkling the sand into the palm of his left hand. He cups the sand and shuts his eyes, lips moving in a silent prayer before blowing gently into his cupped hands. His eyes flash open and Luhan can see that in the light of the setting sun Minseok's eyes seem to reflect a dozen stars.

"Here. Take a look at this." Minseok opens his hands and reveals a small glowing, floating orb. It rippled as it changed colors, going from a deep purple to a softer pink with flecks of orange in between. Luhan reaches out to touch it, but realizes that the heat it was radiating was too hot for him. It was as if–

"Is it a star?" Luhan asks. "It's really beautiful."

"It is," Minseok confirms with a small nod. He closes his hands around it again and when he reveals the star it was white and looked very heavy as it no longer floated. Luhan feels no more heat radiating off it.

"You believe me now, right?" Minseok crushes the orb into a fine dust and carefully places it back into his pouch.

"Kind of. I'm still skeptical about you being born in space, but now that you showed me how you made a small star in the middle of my bedroom I feel like I'm supposed to believe you a little bit." Minseok smiles and Luhan realizes that he's missed that smile so much. He misses Minseok so much. Was it better to just have believed in Minseok, even if he was a madman?

"Thank you for believing in me and my seemingly farfetched story," Minseok says. He takes a step towards Luhan and pulled him into a hug. It's warm and comforting. Was pushing Minseok away just because he didn't believe him worth the nights where he couldn't fall asleep?

"I missed you. Stay with me tonight," Luhan says and pulls Minseok down with him on the bed. He wraps an arm around the other's waist and breathes in the scent of lilies that is always in Minseok's hair. "We don't have to have sex or anything. Just be with me."

"You're in love, aren't you?"

Luhan laughs. "With who?"

"With me." Minseok buries his face into the crook of Luhan's neck. "You're in love with me."

How can he deny such a bold statement when it's true that he's in love with a being that's not from this world?

*

Though they never explicitly said anything about it, they started dating. Their dates weren't the typical going-to-a-restaurant kind of date, though. It was more like a stay-at-home date. Neither minded; they just simply enjoyed the other's presence. They liked the quiet nights, the sound of the other's beating heart, and the feeling of laying next to somebody they loved. Minseok eventually stayed every night because Luhan had requested that they start living together. 

Luhan's insomnia got better the more time he spent with Minseok. Some nights he could have slept like a child without the other by his side but he always preferred that Minseok was with him. It was nice to have a person that he likes peppering small kisses across his shoulders, who murmured a soft lullaby to help rid the demons and insomia.

"Tell me more about yourself," Luhan sleepily mumbles to Minseok one night. He finds his fingers playing with the soft locks of hair on the back of Minseok's head.

"I guess I could tell you some more," Minseok muses. "Let's start with this: I'm not human."

"You already established that quite clearly," Luhan says with a drowsy half-smile and yawn.

"I know, but I have to make that clear. I'm not human because I'm what others call star people. We're people born from stars and we're made of the same things that stars of made of, like hydrogen and plasma. But the thing is, my soul is that of a human. I used to be an actual human before I was reborn as a star person."

"Are you immortal?" Luhan asks. Sleep is trying to pull him down, but he forces himself to stay awake. He wants to listen to Minseok. He wants to learn more about the other.

Luhan feels a sigh of breath across his cheek. "No, I'm not," Minseok murmurs. "But I live much longer than most humans. Most star people average to about two hundred years. I'm nearing my last year."

Luhan opens his lips to speak but soft lips shushes him. Then warm tears melts on his skin and he opens his eyes to find crystalline, diamond-like teardrops pricking the corner of Minseok's eyes.

"What is it?" Luhan sits up, finally shaking sleep away. He pulls the star person up and brings him into a tight embrace.

"I'm going to die in three months." Minseok wipes away the silent tears and offers Luhan a sad smile. "I'll be nothing more than stardust and remnants of a human from the past."

His hold on Minseok tightens. Perhaps if he hugs on to him tightly, Luhan can prevent Minseok from leaving him. But all the way in the back of his mind he knows that he can't stop death. Even star people can't escape from death's looming scythe and this thought constricts his heart.

"Then I guess we'll make the most of our time together." Luhan rests his forehead against Minseok's and for the first time realizes that he can see what looks like a miniature galaxy in Minseok's eyes. It's breathtaking.

He's breathtaking.

"I didn't want to become involved with a human before I died," Minseok explains. His voice is soft like the wind that gently ruffles the white cotton curtains hanging over the window. "There's a certain quality that you have which made me want to know more about you. I still don't know what it is, but it's a good quality." Minseok leans closer to brush his lips against the other's. In three month's time, Luhan won't be able to feel those lips anymore. He wont' be able to hold onto Minseok during restless nights. There won't be abybody to comfort him when he's shaken awake by the moonlight. He'll have nobody to listen to and speak to. He won't have anybody to love and that thought scares him the most.

"I love you," Luhan suddenly says. He chases after those plush lips and presses his firmly against Minseok's lips. "Minseok, I love you." He coax's the star person's mouth open and slips his tongue inside to taste Minseok. He burns the sensation and taste into his mind so that he won't forget.

"Don't fret," Minseok tells the other when they part and he sees that clear teardrops have ran down Luhan's cheeks. He wipes them away and simply holds onto Luhan. "Three months is all the time we need."

Three months feels so short compared to the years he thought he would spend with Minseok. But to Minseok, three months must seem more like three measly minutes as a being who has lived for two hundred years.

*

Luhan crosses off each day with a bright red marker. Each mark brings them closer to the final day. Each mark makes Luhan even more sad.

Death is cruel and insensitive, isn't it?

Despite that thought, Luhan does his best to be optimistic and enjoy every second he has with Minseok. He cherishes each laugh and mentally captures each moment. He makes sure to memorize each and every thing about Minseok from his skin to his personality. Every time they lay down in bed together to simply talk Luhan does his best to remember every detail. He tries to remember the shape of Minseok's lips, the feeling of his body pressed against Luhan, and so many other things. Tonight is no different. Tonight, they simply lie in one another's arms, taking in each other's appearance, living in the moment.

"We have two months left," Luhan tells the other. He shuts his eyes and listens to his own heart and Minseok's beating in unison.

"Why do you keep count of the days?" Minseok asks. His fingerpads trace the curves of his backside. "It'll only make you more sad."

"Because..." Luhan falters. He doesn't really have any other explanation other than he just wants to keep count of their remaining days, even if making big red strokes on each square pains him. It's as simple as that. "I'm just counting down the days before you leave me." Minseok sighs. He cups Luhan's face like he always does when he's worried. He rubs circles on Luhan's cheeks and touches his lips just because it would always mollify his sadness. He doesn't want to leave Luhan, either.

"There's a common belief among us," Minseok starts softly as if telling a story to a sleepy child, "that a star person doesn't actually die for good. We become reincarnated as some other person. We lose memories of our past life to move on with our next, so that memories from the past won't burden us in the future. I know that in my next life I won't remember you but you certainly will. My only regret for being with you is that I've made an impression on you that won't go away."

"There's nothing for you to regret," Luhan says. He reaches up to touch Minseok's hand. "If anything, I should be the one regretting pushing you away when you told me the truth."

"But I came back in the end," Minseok points out. He gives the other a tiny smile that only lasted for a few seconds but it fills Luhan with so much love. "I came back because I know that you can't just simply push people away from your life, especially when they've made some kind of impact."

"Maybe that's my good quality," Luhan says. "The fact that I don't move on from people that easily because I care about them."

"Perhaps," Minseok mumbles. His thumb caresses Luhan's cheek as he thinks. "Or perhaps it's something even simpler than that."

Luhan wonders what that simple quality is as he drifts off to sleep with Minseok by his side. When he wakes up, the star person is still there but he was fast asleep.

*

Minseok fell asleep when Luhan woke up for work and was barely awake when he got back home. He finds it odd that Minseok can sleep through the bright day but it made sense when Minseok explained to him that star people went to sleep during the day like how humans went to sleep at night.

"What do you do when I'm asleep?" Luhan asks one cool night. The window was open and the breeze moved the curtains in a way that resembled white waves.

"Well," Minseok begins. He can't help the silly smile that stretches his lips apart. "I usually stare at you while you're sleeping. It sounds creepy, but I like the way you look while you're asleep. You look peaceful. You're not thinking about anything bad. Sometimes I'll read a book and pretend that you're awake to hear me read it to you." Sometimes, I'll pretend that my life isn't getting shorter every time the moon sets and the sun rises. I'll pretend that I'm just a human who has fallen in love with you and there's nothing more complex than that. Minseok keeps the thought to himself and forces him to smile even more.

"Maybe you should read a story to me some other night," Luhan says. He nuzzles his face into the crook of Minseok's neck and breathes in the scent of tropical fruit from the shampoo that he uses. "I'd really enjoy that." Minseok hums in agreement.

For the first time in weeks, Luhan was able to fall asleep in Minseok's arms without thinking about the warmth that would soon leave him.

*

The second to last month passes quickly. Luhan doesn't fully realize that he has one month left with his lover until he stared at the new blank squares after tearing out the last page of his calendar. Before he knows it, two weeks has passed and he finds himself clutching onto Minseok all the time. He doesn't want to let go. He never wants to let go of the person who made him fall in love and love unconditionally.

His insomnia returns with the worrying. He wakes up with a start and feels around him to make sure that Minseok is still by his side. The star person always takes his hands and caresses him. "I'm here," Minseok would whisper to Luhan and hold onto him. Most nights Minseok will read a bit to Luhan and it usually helps him fall asleep yet he would jolt awake a few hours later just as dawn greeted him.

Tonight, the stars twinkled and the moon was full. It reminds him of the first night he spent with Minseok. They weren't intoxicated or anything but quite the opposite. He remembers leading Minseok by the hand to his bedroom and pushing him to the bed after kissing him. He was growing warmer with every fevered kiss he pressed against Minseok's lips and body. He intended to have casual sex, but it ended up being something that meant a little bit to Luhan. After that Minaeok came by every week to sleep with him. It was sexual at first. He came by, they'd get into the mood, and enjoy themselves. Later, Minseok came by just to chat. They both decided that he liked to sleep with the other man without requiring sex. It was nice to have somebody by their side every night instead of conjuring up an imaginary lover.

"Two weeks," Luhan mumbles to the still air. Minseok peers at the other over his book. "We have two weeks left."

Minseok sighs. "I know that when the day comes you'll be extremely sad but please, Luhan. Please don't mention it."

Luhan abruptly sits up. "How can I not talk about it, Minseok?" he cries. "You're going to leave me in two weeks. I don't know if we'll ever meet again. I don't want to lose you forever." Minseok sets down the book on the bedside table and takes Luhan's hand. He puts them up to his face and holds them there to feel the warmth. He'll miss these warm hands dearly when he's in the cold vacuum of space.

"I understand how you feel. I'll miss you so much when I leave, but you can't simply wish death away. It's not that simple."

"I know," Luhan murmurs after a long sigh. He brings Minseok close to him and presses a gentle kiss against his lips. "I know that I can't stop the inevitable by holding onto you. It's not that easy."

"We just have to enjoy our last days together, okay?" Minseok offers Luhan a small smile. Luhan sears that image into his mind. He doesn't want to forget that smile.

"Can we––"

"Of course," Minseok says before Luhan can finish. He grabs the neck of his shirt and tugs it over his head before tossing it to the floor. Luhan does the same before tugging the blanket away from Minseok and slotting himself between his legs. He pulls the other's sweats and underwear off in one swift movement and sits back to marvel at Minseok's naked body. He's beautiful.

"What are you staring at?" Minseok asks.

"You, obviously. You're so handsome." Luhan presses a chaste kiss against Minseok's lips. The latter opened his mouth to readily accept Luhan. He slips inside and tastes bittersweet chocolate from the candy Minseok ate earlier. He parts just as an amused giggle rises from the other.

"Compared to you I'm average." Minseok brings his legs up to his chest and patiently waits for Luhan.

"If anything, I'm the average one here. You're absolutely breathtaking." Luhan leans down to press another kiss against Minseok's lips, quickly shushing him. He pulls back to fetch the lube and prepare himself for the other.

Minseok's laughter rings throughout the quiet room but Luhan doesn't mind. He wants to hear more. "You know how to smother somebody in compliments," Minseok says. A slick warmth suddenly slides over his hole. Minseok makes a small sound. It's so quiet that Luhan wouldn't have heard it if he said something, but he heard it and it sends a small shiver of anticipation through his body. They haven't done this in so long and Luhan wants to feel Minseok again.

"I learned it from you." Luhan grins and Minseok smiles. Of course he had. He was often complimenting Luhan on different things. He always found a compliment for him. It was because he likes the shy smile Luhan gave him when he received compliments.

Luhan finally pushes himself inside Minseok, eliciting a small moan from the other. He waits for Minseok to adjust before slowly thrusting, simply feeling the sensation of being buried inside the other again for the first time in a while. Minseok's eyes flutter shut as he feels his body accepting Luhan.

He's beautiful.

Minseok's legs wrap around Luhan's waist and his arms go around his neck. He pulls Luhan down for a kiss as he keeps moving. His breath comes out in small puffs of air which graze Luhan's cheek. Luhan thrusts particularly hard, making the other cry out.

He's wonderful.

Luhan never fully pulls back even when he is out of breath. He keeps kissing Minseok and does his best to remember the way his lips taste and feel. His thrusts become slow but long. He wants to let Minseok know how much he loves him.

He's stunning.

Luhan pries Minseok's arms away from his neck and pins them next to his head. He intertwines their fingers together and aims his next thrust so that it brushed against that sweet spot, making Minseok cry out. Minseok back arched when he did it again. The only thought going through his head is how much he loves Minseok.

He doesn't want this to end.

Luhan thrusts hard this time just to hear his lover. Minseok's head falls back when he moans loudly, revealing his bare neck. Luhan peppers it with loving kisses while whispering words of endearment in between each kiss.

He loves him so, so much. He doesn't want him to leave.

He hears Minseok gasp. He's close by the way his breathing picks up. Luhan is close as well and he wants the both of them to finish together.

Luhan locks their lips together and thrusts, harder and faster. Minseok's fingernails are digging into the back of the other's hands, a sign that he was nearing climax. They're both out of breath when Luhan thrusts one final time, spilling himself inside Minseok. The latter shudders as he goes through his own climax. Luhan watches the sweat on Minseok's body glisten in the moonlight. The latter sighs in content once he's calmed down. Luhan pulls out and catches his breath as he examines Minseok's body.

He's unworldly. How can such an amazing person experience death?

"I love you," Minseok says. He reaches out and cups Luhan's face. He brings him in for another kiss, but this time more chaste.

"I love you, too." Luhan holds onto Minseok's hands and doesn't realize that warm tears are sliding down his cheeks until Minseok wiped them away and whispered comforting words to him. He doesn't want Minseok to leave. They've only been together for a year at the most, even if the majority was spent as friends and not lovers. He doesn't want to lose somebody that he considers his best friend and significant other. It's too early.

"I love you so much," Luhan tells the other through a small sob. His hold on Minseok's hands tighten and he nuzzles his face against them. "Please, don't leave me."

"If I had the choice, I would choose to stay with you in a heartbeat. But I don't. I'm going to die even if I stay, anyways. There's no way to avoid my fate." Minseok wipes the tears away with his fingers, but more just fall from Luhan's eyes. It pains him to see his always-smiling lover shedding tears of sadness.

"I know," Luhan says as he took a shuddering breath. "It would be naïve to believe that you'd be with me forever." He gives the other a sad smile. Silently, the tears that Minseok didn't wipe away fell from Luhan's face and hit Minseok's bare body. Luhan blinks the remaining tears away before laying down next to his lover.

"Everything will be okay," Minseok murmurs. He tugs the comforter across their bodies and kisses Luhan squarely on the lips.

Luhan doesn't reply. He knows that Minseok is doing his best to comfort him, but he knows that everything won't be fine when he's gone. He'll spend most of his days remembering the man that brought him comfort in his arms. He wishes that it was easier to forget people.

*

Their final day passes by so quickly. They spent the majority spending time together. They went to a park, had lunch at their favorite cafe, and watched a movie. Luhan pretends that they're just going out on a date. When he goes to bed tonight and wakes up tomorrow Minseok will still be by his side, smiling and laughing. Everything will be fine in the end. Minseok won't leave him and he won't be alone.

However, it's a little past midnight and Luhan finds himself not in bed with his arms around Minseok, but holding onto Minseok and crying. Minseok's final hour is up.

"Please," Luhan cries. "Don't leave." The lump in his throat only grows bigger when Minseok tries to pull away. A part of him is trying its best to cope with the departure, but his entire soul doesn't want this to happen.

"Listen to me," Minseok murmurs. He cups Luhan's face and wipes the tears away. Their eyes lock. Through misty tears he can see that Minseok's dark yet gleaming eyes shine with sadness. "You must move on. You can't be sad forever when I'm gone. Be happy and move on. Promise me that." No words fall from Luhan's lips. He was too distraught to say anything else, but he nods in understanding. He knows that he has to move on, no matter how difficult it will be.

"I have to go now. I love you so, so much. I'm glad that I got to love and know you." Minseok presses tender kiss against Luhan's lips and once more wipes away the falling teardrops. He steps away before Luhan could hold onto him.

"Oh, before I forget, I finally figured out what that quality of yours is." Minseok smiles. "It's simply love. Your quality is that you love people unconditionally."

Luhan doesn't remember much after Minseok said that. Everything seems to happen all at once. He saw the curtains flap as the wind suddenly picked up and glittery sparks ignite before him. He had to shield his eyes lest he was blinded by the light. When the wind and light had died down he opened his eyes. Minseok was gone.

*

Today is their three year anniversary.

Though they had only dated for several months, Luhan keeps track of the days. He never forgot the day he and Minseok officially came together as lovers and when Minseok left. It still brings a bit of pain when he thinks about that night years ago, but he's coping with it. He'll never find a way to forget Minseok completely though.

Luhan peers down at the calendar on his phone and frowns. Three years already? The days seem to have gone by in a blur because of all the emotions, tears, and sleepless nights he's had.

Three years without Minseok. Three cold winters without his lover, nobody to share a blanket and cup of hot coffee with. Three springtimes without Minseok to pass the time as they talked about the distant stars in their galaxy and how fascinating their little planet was amidst giant gas planets. Three sweltering summers without anybody to joke around with him whenever he talked into the fan. Three autumns without his lover kicking up dead leaves and expressing how much he liked the color of the trees.

Lost in his musings, Luhan walks into somebody with a cup of coffee in their hand. The paper cup drops to the floor, spilling the contents on the concrete ground.

"I'm sorry!" Luhan looks up in embarrassment, which turns to alarm.

The man standing before him is Minseok. It's him in the flesh; it's not a mirage or dream.

"M-Minseok?"

The man frowns in confusion. "How do you know my name?" he asks. Yes, it must be Minseok. Nobody else looks exactly like him with the same name, especially in a place like this.

"It's me, Luhan!" He's practically beaming with happiness right now. If he didn't have any self-control he would have hugged Minseok right there in the middle of the street.

"I'm sorry," Minseok says and shakes his head. "I'm afraid I don't know you. You must have mistaken me for somebody else." Luhan's heart sinks into his stomach when he hears this. So it isn't Minseok? It can't be, though. He looks exactly like the man he fell in love with three years ago.

"Oh," Luhan mumbles. He bows his head in apology. "I'm awfully sorry. I didn't mean to spill your coffee and make it awkward for you. I can buy you another one, if you'd like."

"Normally, I'd pass on an offer from a stranger," Minseok says. "But somehow you knew what my name was. I feel like I know you, though. I've always had vague dreams and in them I would see a guy that looks like you. We were together and lived happily. Your name...it's Luhan, right?" Luhan looks at the man in surprise before nodding. Is it really Minseok?

Minseok laughs. "I shouldn't have told you that. It's kind of creepy to hear that a stranger has dreams about you."

Luhan waves a dismissive hand. "It's fine," he says. "How about we go get a cup of coffee and chat about weird coincidences?" he sugests with a friendly smile.

"That sounds lovely," Minseok says. He smiles widely at the other. "I was kind of wandering around town and thinking about some stuff. I'm glad that you bumped into me. We'd probably walk past each other without saying anything." Luhan nods in agreement.

For the rest of the day, he and Minseok walk around their little town and talk. Luhan asks Minseok questions such as what he did for work and what he was doing in a small town. Minseok in turn wondered why Luhan was staying in a small town when a bigger city was waiting for him.

"It's small, yes, but I fell in love with somebody who changed my life." Luhan looks at Minseok. His lips are exactly like the other Minseok from several years ago. Did they feel and taste the same?

"What were they like?" Minseok asks. He too looks at Luhan and their eyes locked.

"He was out of this world," Luhan says. A small smile cracks the corner of his lips. "He was beautiful and knowledgeable about our galaxy. We would always stay up to talk about the stars. He was so...human."

They both stop under a street lamp. It suddenly flickers on, bathing the two men in a warm yellow glow in the dusk. Minseok looks up at the sky where the stars were slowly emerging to dance in the sky. "Did you know," Minseok begins, "that there are bilions and zillions of stars in our universe? And if the multi-universe theory is true and there are other planets like ours that held so much life, then stars could be simply people who have died in the past." Minseok returns his gaze to Luhan. "Of course, that's a silly idea that writers speak about. Stars have already been proven to be made out of hydrogen and helium."

"But suppose they weren't made of gases. Suppose that stars are indeed people of the past."

Minseok shakes his head and laughs. "I have a master's degree in astronomy, Luhan. I've studied for years about stars and space. Stars are not people. I know what I'm talking about." Luhan shrugs the idea away. It's a silly idea but he knows that it's true. He fell in love with a man who was a star and was reborn every couple hundred years.

"You know," Minseok says. "I already told you about the dreams I had about you. The thing is though, in those dreams I wasn't human. I was somebody who died, was born as some supernatural being who lived in space, and cycled through life and death every two hundred years. I was reincarnated every time I died and I never know who I would be in my next life." Minseok smiles at Luhan. For a moment, he can see the old Minseok smiling at him again. "Perhaps that idea about stars being people is true, Luhan."

"Would it be weird to say that in your past life we were together as friends and lovers?"


End file.
